After the Tailgate: BCS could really use a playoff this season

College football fans would be licking their lips imaging a potential four-team playoff among Kansas State, Oregon, Notre Dame and Alabama.

It won't happen this season. Instead, college football must endure two more seasons of the current BCS format, which is pitting the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in a national championship game.

In 2014, a four-team playoff begins, but it's looking as if that future setup would come in handy this season.

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Without it, the Southeastern Conference's stranglehold on BCS national championships could come to an end. Alabama's loss to Texas A&M dropped the Crimson Tide out of the top spot and into No. 4, behind undefeated Kansas State, Oregon and Notre Dame.

It's simple what has to happen for Alabama or possibly Georgia to grab one spot in Miami, the site of the BCS national championship. Hope the Wildcats, Ducks and/or the Fighting Irish lose a game down the stretch. That's it.

It's not impossible all three could lose, and if that happens, good luck deciding which teams should play for the championship. Instead, let's analyze the top three teams in the BCS, and the remaining schedule for each:

-- Kansas State (10-0): at Baylor, Texas.

Outlook: With quarterback Collin Klein healthy again, and a game at Baylor, which is ranked last in the country in defense, it's all setting up as a one-game season for the Wildcats. A Texas team that will potentially be 9-2 on Dec. 1 is likely the only roadblock preventing K-State from heading South in January.

-- Oregon (10-0): Stanford, at Oregon State.

Outlook: The Ducks came out of their win on Saturday against Cal with a few injuries, so that's the biggest concern heading into a tough final two games of the season. Stanford is always tough and physical for any opponent, but with that game in Eugene, Ore., Oregon will be big favorites. The game at Oregon State will be interesting because, as they say, anything can happen in a rivalry game.

-- Notre Dame (10-0): Wake Forest, at USC.

Outlook: A home game against the 5-5 Demon Deacons won't do much to help the Fighting Irish's computer ranking, but the game at USC should. That said, even by winning its last two games, Notre Dame will likely be in the same boat as Alabama and Georgia -- that being a team in desperate need of help.

Quick slants

-- Kent State (9-1) is ranked for the first time since 1973, checking in at No. 25 in this week's Associated Press Top 25. The Golden Flashes travel to Bowling Green (7-3) on Saturday in a key Mid-American Conference East Division showdown.

-- At times, Wisconsin has struggled this season, but when the Big Ten championship game is played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the Badgers will be there again.

Wisconsin (7-3, 4-2) rushed for a school-record 564 yards in a 62-14 rout of Indiana, and secured its spot in Indy with two games to play. That's because Ohio State (10-0, 6-0) and Penn State aren't eligible for the postseason.

That probably won't sit well for the Buckeyes next week in Madison, Wis., when they take on the Badgers.

Top 10

1. Kansas State 10-0

2. Oregon 10-0

3. Notre Dame 10-0

4. Alabama 9-1

5. Georgia 9-1

6. Ohio State 10-0

7. Texas A&M 8-2

8. LSU 8-2

9. Florida State 9-1

10. Clemson 9-1

Heisman watch

1. Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State

2. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M

3. Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State

4. Marqise Lee, WR, USC

5. Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame

BCS projections

BCS national championship: Oregon vs. Kansas State

Rose: Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin

Orange: Florida State vs. Rutgers

Fiesta: LSU vs. Oklahoma

Sugar: Alabama vs. Clemson

Top games to watch

Wednesday

Ohio at Ball State, 7 (ESPNU)

Toledo at Northern Illinois, 8 (ESPN2)

Saturday

USC at UCLA, 3 (WJW)

Ohio State at Wisconsin, 3:30 (WEWS)

Wake Forrest at Notre Dame, 3:30 (WKYC)

Oklahoma at West Virginia, 7 (WJW)

Kansas State at Baylor, 8 (ESPN)

Stanford at Oregon, 8 (WEWS)

Area player of the week

Adam Watson (Mentor), Case Western Reserve, Sr., DE: In his last college game, Watson made six tackles, a sack, a tackle for a loss, a forced fumble, blocked a pass and had five quarterback hurries as the Sparans beat Carnegie Mellon in the Academic Bowl.